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the pathfinder-第37部分

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barrassed; if not distrustful of his reception。

〃Uncle and niece make a family party;〃 said Pathfinder;
when near the two; 〃and a stranger may not prove a wel…
come companion?〃

〃You are no stranger; Master Pathfinder;〃 returned
Cap; 〃and no one can be more welcome than yourself。
We were talking of you but a moment ago; and when
friends speak of an absent man; he can guess what they
have said。〃

〃I ask no secrets。  Every man has his enemies; and I
have mine; though I count neither you; Master Cap; nor
pretty Mabel here among the number。  As for the Mingos;
I will say nothing; though they have no just cause to hate
me。〃

〃That I'll answer for; Pathfinder! for you strike my
fancy as being well…disposed and upright。  There is a
method; however; of getting away from the enmity of even
these Mingos; and if you choose to take it; no one will
more willingly point it out than myself; without a charge
for my advice either。〃

〃I wish no enemies; Saltwater;〃 for so the Pathfinder
had begun to call Cap; having; insensibly to himself;
adopted the term; by translating the name given him by
the Indians in and about the fort;  〃I wish no enemies。
I'm as ready to bury the hatchet with the Mingos as with
the French; though you know that it depends on One
greater than either of us so to turn the heart as to leave a
man without enemies。〃

〃By lifting your anchor; and accompanying me down
to the coast; friend Pathfinder; when we get back from this
short cruise on which we are bound; you will find yourself
beyond the sound of the war…whoop; and safe enough from
any Indian bullet。〃

〃And what should I do on the salt water?  Hunt in
your towns?  Follow the trails of people going and com…
ing from market; and ambush dogs and poultry?  You
are no friend to my happiness; Master Cap; if you would
lead me out of the shades of the woods to put me in the
sun of the clearings。〃

〃I did not propose to leave you in the settlements;
Pathfinder; but to carry you out to sea; where a man can
only be said to breathe freely。  Mabel will tell you that
such was my intention; before a word was said on the
subject。〃

〃And what does Mabel think would come of such a
change?  She knows that a man has his gifts; and that it
is as useless to pretend to others as to withstand them that
come from Providence。  I am a hunter; and a scout; or a
guide; Saltwater; and it is not in me to fly so much in the
face of Heaven as to try to become anything else。  Am I
right; Mabel; or are you so much a woman as to wish to
see a natur' altered?〃

〃I would wish to see no change in you; Pathfinder;〃
Mabel answered; with a cordial sincerity and frankness
that went directly to the hunter's heart; 〃and much as
my uncle admires the sea; and great as is all the good that
he thinks may come of it; I could not wish to see the best
and noblest hunter of the woods transformed into an ad…
miral。  Remain what you are; my brave friend; and you
need fear nothing short of the anger of God。〃

〃Do you hear this; Saltwater? do you hear what the
Sergeant's daughter is saying; and she is much too upright;
and fair…minded; and pretty; not to think what she says。
So long as she is satisfied with me as I am; I shall not fly
in the face of the gifts of Provideuce; by striving to become
anything else。  I may seem useless here in a garrison; but
when we get down among the Thousand Islands; there may
be an opportunity to prove that a sure rifle is sometimes a
Godsend。〃

〃You are then to be of our party?〃 said Mabel; smiling
so frankly and so sweetly on the guide that he would have
followed her to the end of the earth。  〃I shall be the only
female; with the exception of one soldier's wife; and shall
feel none the less secure; Pathfinder; because you will be
among our protectors。〃

〃The Sergeant would do that; Mabel; though you were
not of his kin。  No one will overlook you。  I should think
your uncle here would like an expedition of this sort;
where we shall go with sails; and have a look at an inland
sea?〃

〃Your inland sea is no great matter; Master Pathfinder;
and I expect nothing from it。  I confess; however; I should
like to know the object of the cruise; for one does not
wish to be idle; and my brother…in…law; the Sergeant; is as
close…mouthed as a freemason。  Do you know; Mabel; what
all this means?〃

〃Not in the least; uncle。  I dare not ask my father any
questions about his duty; for he thinks it is not a woman's
business; and all I can say is; that we are to sail as soon
as the wind will permit; and that we are to be absent a
month。〃

〃Perhaps Master Pathfinder can give me a useful hint;
for a v'y'ge without an object is never pleasant to an old
sailor。〃

〃There is no great secret; Saltwater; concerning our
port and object; though it is forbidden to talk much about
either in the garrison。  I am no soldier; however; and can
use my tongue as I please; though as little given as another
to idle conversation; I hope; still; as we sail so soon; and
you are both to be of the party; you may as well be told
where you are to be carried。  You know that there are
such things as the Thousand Islands; I suppose; Master
Cap?〃

〃Ay; what are so called hereaway; though I take it for
granted that they are not real islauds; such as we fall in
with on the ocean; and that the thousand means some
such matter as two or three。〃

〃My eyes are good; and yet have I often been foiled in
trying to count them very islands。〃

〃Ay; ay; I've known people who couldn't count beyond
a certain number。  Your real land…birds never know their
own roosts; even in a land…fall at sea。  How many times
have I seen the beach; and houses; and churches; when the
passengers have not been able to see anything but water!
I have no idea that a man can get fairly out of sight of
land on fresh water。  The thing appears to me to be irra…
tional and impossible。〃

〃You don't know the lakes; Master Cap; or you would
not say that。  Before we get to the Thousand Islands; you
will have other notions of what natur' has done in this
wilderness。〃

〃I have my doubts whether you have such a thing as a
real island in all this region。〃

〃We'll show you hundreds of them; not exactly a thou…
sand; perhaps; but so many that eye cannot see them all;
nor tongue count them。〃

〃I'll engage; when the truth comes to be known; they'll
turn out to be nothing but peninsulas; or promontories; or
continents; though these are matters; I daresay; of which
you know little or nothing。  But; islands or no islands;
what is the object of the cruise; Master Pathfinder?〃

〃There can be no harm in giving you some idea of what
we are going to do。  Being so old a sailor; Master Cap;
you've heard; no doubt; of such a port as Frontenac?〃

〃Who hasn't?  I will not say I've ever been inside the
harbor; but I've frequently been off the place。〃

〃Then you are about to go upon ground with which
you are acquainted。  These great lakes; you must know;
make a chain; the water passing out of one into the other;
until it reaches Erie; which is a sheet off here to the west…
ward; as large as Ontario itself。  Well; out of Erie the water
comes; until it reaches a low mountain like; over the edge
of which it passes。〃

〃I should like to know how the devil it can do that?〃

〃Why; easy enough; Master Cap;〃 returned Pathfinder;
laughing; 〃seeing that it has only to fall down hill。  Had
I said the water went _up_ the mountain; there would have
been natur' ag'in it; but we hold it no great matter for
water to run down hill  that is; _fresh_ water。〃

〃Ay; ay; but you speak of the water of a lake's coming
down the side of a mountain; it's in the teeth of reason;
if reason has any teeth。〃

〃Well; well; we will not dispute the point; but what
I've seen I've seen。  After getting into Ontario; all the
water of _all_ the lakes passes down into the sea by a river;
and in the narrow part of the sheet; where it is neither
river nor lake; lie the islands spoken of。  Now Frontenac
is a post of the Frenchers above these same islands; and;
as they hold the garrison below; their stores and ammuni…
tion are sent up the river to Frontenac; to be forwarded
along the shores of this and the other lakes; in order to
enable the enemy to play his devilries among the savages;
and to take Christian scalps。〃

〃And will our presence prevent these horrible acts?〃
demanded Mabel; with interest。

〃It may or it may not; as Providence wills。  Lundie; as
they call him; he who commands this garrison; sent a party
down to take a station among the islands; to cut off some
of the French boats; and this expedition of ours will be
the second relief。  As yet they've not done much; though
two bateaux loaded with Indian goods have been taken;
but a runner came in last week; and brought such tidings
that the Major is about to make a last effort to circumvent
the knaves。  Jasper knows the way; and we shall be in
good hands; for the Sergeant is prudent; and of the first
quality at an ambushment; yes; he is both prudent and
alert。〃

〃Is this all?〃 said Cap contemptuously; 〃by the prep…
arations and equipments; I had thought there was a forced
trade in the wind; and that an honest penny might be
turned by taking an adventure。  I suppose there are no
shares in your fresh…water prize…money?〃

〃Anan?〃

〃I take it for granted the king gets all in these soldier…
ing parties; and ambushments; as you call them。〃

〃I know nothing about that; Master Cap。  I take my
share of the lead and powder if any falls into our hands;
and say nothing to the king about it。  If any one fares
better; it is not I; though it is time I did begin to think
of a house and furniture and a home。〃

Although the Pathfinder did not dare to look at Mabel
while he made this direct allusion to his change of life; he
would have given the world to know whether she was lis…
tening; and what was the expression of her countenance。
Mabel little suspected the nature of the allusion; however;
and her countenance was perfectly unembarrassed as she
turned her eyes towards the river; where the appearance
of some movement on board the _Scud_ began to be visible。

〃Jasper is bringing the cutter out;〃 ob
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